Legend on Klopp: "I would have loved to play for him"

Liverpool FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier League

England striker Wayne Rooney has said he would have loved to play under Jürgen Klopp during his career. The former Three Lions record goalscorer made the remark on the BBC's "Wayne Rooney Show".

Rooney, who scored for Liverpool's arch-rivals Everton and Manchester United during his Premier League career, said of the Reds' long-serving, successful manager: "Klopp was the only Liverpool manager I'd have loved to play for. Not for Liverpool, of course."

Rooney then compared Klopp with his successor, Arne Slot. Slot took charge in summer 2024, won the Premier League title with LFC immediately, yet has faced criticism this season after a poor second campaign. "I've said before that Arne Slot doesn't have the aura that Klopp has," Rooney stated. "What Klopp brought to the table, even just walking around a restaurant with a bottle of beer, that's what the people of Liverpool love."

The former BVB coach spent nine years at Liverpool, winning the Premier League and the Champions League before stepping down. After a lengthy break, the 58-year-old now serves as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.

Liverpool FC v Paris Saint-Germain FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg

Rooney observes a drop in form for van Dijk and Salah.

Meanwhile, Rooney analysed Liverpool's mixed season, once again attributing it to the performances of the two superstars, Virgil van Dijk (34) and Mohamed Salah (33). "The hardest thing for a player is realising you're no longer at the level you once were," explained the now 40-year-old. He drew a parallel with his own experience in 2016 when United signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic: "I wasn't playing anymore, but I still wanted to play, so I moved on. I accepted it."

Like Rooney, who returned to Everton at the time, Salah is expected to leave Liverpool this summer. Captain Virgil van Dijk, however, is expected to stay. Rooney's verdict is blunt: "I've been saying this since the start of the season: age takes its toll and eventually your legs give out. I think that's happened to Salah, and van Dijk isn't the same player either. But they are the leaders in the dressing room, which makes it hard for others to step up."

Rooney does not expect van Dijk (contract until 2027) to leave this summer, yet he warns, "We've often seen players who have stayed too long."

Wayne Rooney Manchester United 2008 Champions League

Wayne Rooney's career as a professional footballer